Polish and other naval ships on a 1/3000 scale.

This will be my last post of the year, showcasing the final painted models I've completed. Several weeks ago, Mike visited Navwar, a manufacturer of metal warships in various scales, to expand his World War II naval collection. I decided to join him and others from the club in these purchases, but I focused on building the Polish Navy from that period.  After reviewing the offerings, I found some quite interesting options, particularly for larger ships, which allowed me to create a diverse fleet. However, there were limitations when it came to smaller vessels, as the selection was insufficient. For instance, I couldn't find the gunboats I needed for a specific project (but I’m sure something will come up). The sets I purchased included more ships than I needed, so I went ahead and painted them all. I aimed to select units from navies other than the Royal Navy, which was only partially successful—my collection featured just one Dutch ship, while the rest had to be British. Additionally, Mike gifted me a few large vessels, which I also painted. For the bases, I used products from Warbases, opting for transparent versions this time. I saw these earlier used by Campbell and found this version visually appealing; it looks better on the table. Therefore, I decided to use these bases. Here is the final result:

1. POLISH NAVY in 1939

Looking at the Polish Navy before the outbreak of World War II, it must be remembered that it was created with the future war with the Soviet Union in mind. At that time, the main base of the Soviet Navy in the Baltic Sea was Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). The plan of the Navy command assumed the mining of the Gulf of Finland, so this type of weapon had priority in its development. Of course, it was also necessary to create this Navy according to the capabilities of the Polish state at that time, poor and backward compared to other countries, especially its two most aggressive neighbours. It must also be remembered that Germany, disarmed after the Treaty of Versailles, did not pose a threat until the mid-thirties, this only appeared in the second half of the thirties, after Hitler came to power.

When the German threat became imminent in early 1939, a plan of action for the Polish navy was devised. This plan consisted of three operations: Peking, Rurka, and Worek. Operation Peking (named after the capital of China, Beijing, which was spelt as such in Polish at the time, now is Pekin) involved the departure of three destroyers—OORP Burza, Błyskawica, and Grom—to Great Britain. The aim was to preserve these ships and potentially assist in convoying aid to the fighting country. Their route was intended to lead them to the ports of Romania, as it was recognized that passage back to the Baltic Sea would be futile, given that it would likely be blocked by German forces. The second operation, Rurka (which means "small pipe" in Polish), involved laying a minefield in the Bay of Gdańsk. This task was to be carried out by surface ships, specifically Jaskółka-class minesweepers and ORP Gryf, a large minelayer of the Polish navy. The third part of the plan, Worek (meaning "sack" in Polish), aimed to deploy submarines to protect against a potential landing of German forces on the Hel Peninsula. Only Peking was a success, the rest were failures.

Jaskółka-class minesweepers

Six ships of this type were built in the years 1933-1939 in Poland, four in Gdynia and two in the river shipyard in Modlin, as a replacement for old German FM-type minesweepers. Ships of this type are, in the order of their entry into service: OORP Jaskółka, Mewa, Rybitwa, Czajka, Czapla and Żuraw (Swallow, Seagull, Tern, Lapwing, Heron and Crane). Two units of this series were sunk in September 1939 (OORP Jaskółka and Czapla), and the rest were taken over by the Germans (name changes were made: Czajka - Westerplatte, Mewa - Putzig, Rybitwa - Rixhöft and Żuraw - Oxhöft). All of these ships survived the war and returned to the Polish Navy in communist Poland, where their previous names were restored. All the ships continued to serve as minesweepers, with the difference that ORP Żuraw became a hydrographic ship. In 1951, part of the crew fled to Sweden on this ship, where they requested asylum. The ship returned to Poland and its name was changed to OH Kompas. All the ships were withdrawn from service in the 1970s and then scrapped.

ORP Gryf

Gryf in Polish means griffin. A large minelayer, the largest combat warship of the Polish Navy before World War II. Built in France in 1934-1938. Participated in the execution of the Rurka plan, then moored in Hel, where it fought an artillery duel with German ships on September 3. On the same day sunk in the port by German planes.

OORP Burza, Wicher

"Wicher" translates to "whirlwind" and "Burza" translates to "storm" in English. The first Polish destroyers were built in France between 1927 and 1932. The fate of ORP Wicher was similar to that of ORP Gryf, with one notable difference: ORP Wicher docked in Hel on September 2. On September 3, it engaged in an artillery duel with German destroyers and was sunk by German aircraft the same day. In contrast, the history of ORP Burza was different. Following the Peking Plan, the ship reached Rosyth in Scotland on September 1, 1939. From that point on, it participated in operations with the Polish Armed Forces in the West, including the Norwegian campaign, the evacuation from Dunkirk, and the protection of Atlantic convoys. Throughout its service, ORP Burza sustained significant damage multiple times. It rescued over 250 survivors, sank one submarine (U-606), and shot down one aircraft. In 1944, ORP Burza was withdrawn to reserve duty and became a training ship. UK took over the ship in 1946. It returned to Poland in 1951 and remained in service until 1960. From 1960 to 1975, it served as a museum ship in Gdynia. However, in 1977, due to its poor technical condition, the ship was scrapped.

OORP Błyskawica, Grom

"Błyskawica" means "lightning" in English, and "Grom" means "thunder". Following negative experiences with French shipyards, additional destroyers were ordered from Great Britain. However, before this occurred, French shipyards won subsequent tenders, followed by Swedish ones and the project was ultimately handed over to the British. The construction of these ships took place between 1935 and 1937, and they turned out to be very successful vessels. As a result of Operation Peking, both ships were transferred to Great Britain alongside ORP Burza. Upon their arrival, it became evident that several modifications were necessary, as both ships were not suitable for service in the North Sea and the Atlantic. This adjustment was carried out in October 1939 in Plymouth, and both vessels soon began convoy and patrol duties around the British Isles. In 1940, they participated in the Norwegian campaign, during which ORP Grom was sunk by a German plane on May 4, 1940, in Rombakkenfjord near Narvik. Meanwhile, ORP Błyskawica survived the Norwegian campaign and took part in the evacuation of troops from Dunkirk. It later saw action in the Atlantic and Mediterranean theatres and participated in operations such as Torch, Overlord, and Deadlight, as well as the Battle of Ushant. The ship underwent two major reconstructions in 1941 and 1943. In 1946, it was taken over by the Royal Navy, and in 1947, ORP Błyskawica returned to Poland. It remained in active service until 1967 when an accident involving steam pipes occurred. After that, it was used for training and ceremonial purposes in Oksywie and later served as an anti-aircraft protection ship in Świnoujście. In 1975, ORP Błyskawica replaced ORP Burza as a museum ship in Gdynia, where it continues to serve this role to this day. In 1987, the ship was awarded the Gold Cross of the Virtuti Militari, the highest Polish military decoration, making it the only vessel to receive this honour.

Models from Navwar let you create models for three different periods. The first period covers the appearance of the ships before the outbreak of war. The second period is after the reconstruction in 1939, indicated by names with an asterisk (*). The third period represents the reconstruction in 1941, denoted by names with two asterisks (**).

OORP Wilk, Ryś, Żbik

The names of these ships in English are: Wolf, Lynx, and Wildcat. They were built in France between 1927 and 1932 as underwater minelayers. In 1939, they commenced operations under the Worek plan, which aimed to create a mine barrier along the Hel Peninsula from the Baltic Sea. The execution of this plan began in the early morning hours of September 1, coinciding with the outbreak of hostilities—a significant oversight by the naval command. In response to these actions, the Germans deployed several dozen small units to locate and attack the Polish ships using depth charges. The German Luftwaffe was also actively involved. After partially laying the mine barriers, the Polish ships decided to withdraw from their sectors. By September 5, they moved deeper into the Baltic Sea to conduct operations against German shipping. However, damage to the ships and fuel shortages compelled the commanders to cease combat operations. ORP Wilk headed to Great Britain, arriving on September 20, while ORP Ryś and Żbik, having sustained serious damage, sailed to Sweden where they were interned. After repairs and modifications — including the installation of British torpedo tubes — ORP Wilk began conducting patrols in the North Sea from November 1939 until January 1941. Following this period, due to wear and tear, she shifted to training roles. In April 1942, ORP Wilk was transferred to reserve status. In 1946, she was handed over to the British, and in 1952, she returned to Poland. However, due to her poor technical condition, a decision was made to scrap her in 1954. The remaining ships, ORP Ryś and Żbik returned to Poland from internment in Sweden in 1945. Both ships continued to serve until 1955, after which they were scrapped in 1956.

OORP Orzeł, Sęp

Eagle and Vulture. OORP Orzeł and Sęp were large submarines designed to threaten the largest Soviet warships. They were built in the Netherlands between 1936 and 1939. Both submarines participated in Operation Worek, providing cover for the operation. ORP Sęp operated from the west, near Cape Rozewie, while ORP Orzeł was stationed in the Bay of Gdańsk. From the very beginning, they faced attacks from the Luftwaffe and smaller units of the Kriegsmarine. On September 5, 1939, they left their positions to enter the Baltic Sea, with ORP Orzeł having departed on September 4. ORP Sęp, having sustained damage, retreated to Sweden, where it was interned. Meanwhile, ORP Orzeł initially travelled near Gotland before heading to Riga in Estonia, where an unsuccessful attempt to intern the ship occurred. Afterwards, with no weapons or maps, ORP Orzeł navigated the entire Baltic Sea and arrived in Great Britain on October 14. The submarine was soon refitted and returned to patrol duty in December 1939. On April 8, 1940, ORP Orzeł sank the German transport ship Rio de Janeiro. This success was significant not only because of the sinking of the troop carrier but also for revealing Germany's intention to attack Norway. ORP Orzeł sailed from Rosyth on May 23, 1940, for her final patrol in the North Sea, but she never returned. The cause of her sinking remains unknown, and the search for her wreck continues to this day. ORP Sęp returned to Poland after internment in 1945. In 1963, the ship's batteries exploded, marking the last time she was submerged. ORP Sęp remained in service until 1969 and was eventually scrapped between 1971 and 1972. 

POLISH NAVY 1939-1945.

After the completion of the Peking Plan, Polish ships began serving as part of the Royal Navy as their allied navy. Although they were independent vessels, they operated under British command, similar to the structure of the entire Polish Armed Forces in the West, except for the land forces, which were under French command in 1939-1940. During World War II, these ships participated in combat against Germany and Italy. The British also lent several warships to the Polish forces during the war, which were returned to their original owner in 1946.

ORP Garland.

The British G-class destroyer was in service with the Royal Navy from 1936. In 1940, it was transferred to the Polish Navy on loan, while retaining its British name for courtesy. The destroyer participated in warfare in both the Atlantic and Mediterranean, frequently providing cover for convoys. It contributed to the sinking of the German submarine U-407, alongside other British ships. In 1946, the destroyer returned to the Royal Navy, which sold it a year later to the Dutch Koninklijke Marine. Renamed Marnix, it was used as a training ship before becoming a frigate. The ship was struck from the Navy List in 1964 and was finally scrapped four years later.

There were two ships in the set, and I decided to paint the second one, HMS Greyhound, for no particular reason.

ORP Piorun

The British N-class destroyer was launched in 1940 as HMS Nerissa. The same year, she was leased to Poland, and her name was changed to ORP Piorun, which means "thunderbolt." This ship became one of the most combative Polish vessels during World War II. Notably, she gained fame during the hunt for the Bismarck, as she maintained combat contact with the battleship for an hour, helping to guide other British destroyers to it. ORP Piorun also participated in the battles of Ushant and Jersey. In 1946, she was returned to the British and renamed HMS Noble, remaining in service until 1955.

This time, we received two ships in the set, and I chose the HRMR Van Galen. The ship served in the Dutch Navy from 1942 to 1956, primarily in the Indian Ocean. Notably, it also participated in the Korean War.

ORP Orkan

The ORP Orkan, referred to as hurricane in English, was an M-class destroyer launched in January 1942 under the name HMS Myrmidon. In December 1942, it was loaned to the Polish Navy, at which point its name was changed to ORP Orkan. The destroyer primarily served in the Atlantic, where it protected large Royal Navy ships and convoys. In July 1943, the ORP Orkan played a significant role by transporting the coffin of General Sikorski, the Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Poland, from Gibraltar to the British Isles after he died in a plane crash. Tragically, on October 8, 1943, the ORP Orkan was sunk by a G7es acoustic torpedo fired by the German submarine U-378 while it was escorting convoy SC-143. The sinking resulted in the deaths of 178 Polish sailors and around 20 British crew members, marking the largest loss of life for the Polish Navy during World War II.

The second ship in the set was painted to resemble HMS Meteor.

OORP Krakowiak, Kujawiak, Ślązak

Hunt II-class destroyer escorts were loaned to the Polish Navy in the following order: ORP Krakowiak (formerly HMS Silverton) and ORP Kujawiak (formerly HMS Oakley) in May 1941, followed by ORP Ślązak (formerly HMS Bedale) in April 1942. This time, the ship names refer to the inhabitants of geographical regions in Poland. A Ślązak is an inhabitant of Silesia, a Kujawiak is an inhabitant of Kujawy, and a Krakowiak is an inhabitant of Kraków. These ships mainly served in escort roles and participated in several significant operations. ORP Ślązak notably supported the landings at Dieppe, where, against orders, she rescued 82 Canadian soldiers stranded on the beach. She also participated in landings in Sicily and Normandy. On July 6, 1942, she became the first ship in history to capture a German live torpedo during World War II, taking its pilot prisoner. ORP Krakowiak took part in several operations, including Anklet, Husky, the Dodecanese campaign, Overlord, and Deadlight. However, the least fortunate of the group was ORP Kujawiak. While she also participated in Operation Anklet, she struck a mine near Malta during Operation Harpoon and sank on June 16, 1942. The remaining ships were returned to the British in 1946 and reverted to their original names. ORP Krakowiak, now HMS Silverton, was placed in reserve in 1947 and later reclassified as a frigate. In July 1953, she represented the Reserve Fleet during the coronation review of Queen Elizabeth II at Spithead. She was decommissioned in 1959 and sold for scrap. ORP Ślązak, renamed HMS Bedale, was transferred to the Indian Navy in May 1953, where she served as Godavari. In 1976, she ran aground in the Maldives, after which she was removed from the fleet list and subsequently scrapped.

OORP Dragon, Conrad

The ORP Dragon and ORP Conrad (Danae class light cruisers) were the largest ships under the Polish flag that participated in World War II. Staff shortages limited the ability to equip larger units. Although the British had initially offered the Poles a French battleship, the Paris, in 1940, this opportunity was not taken due to these shortages.

In January 1943, the British offered to transfer an old light cruiser, HMS Dragon, built in 1917, to the Polish Navy. Notably, the name of the ship remained unchanged until May 1943, when it was officially renamed ORP Dragon. The English name "Dragon" was kept, as it resonated historically with the Polish Navy; in the 16th century, a galleon by that name was constructed for the Polish Navy, although it was never completed. Another name proposed for the ship was ORP Lwów, but it was ultimately rejected due to political considerations involving the Soviet Union, an ally of Great Britain at the time. On June 2, 1944, ORP Dragon joined a task force providing fire support for land forces during Operation Overlord. This team included the battleships HMS Warspite and HMS Ramillies, the monitor HMS Roberts, and cruisers HMS Mauritius, HMS Frobisher, HMS Arethusa, and HMS Danae, along with ORP Dragon. The ship was tasked with shelling targets near Sword Beach. On July 8, ORP Dragon was assigned to bombard German defensive positions near Caen. On that day, the ship was struck by a live Neger-type torpedo. Sadly, it could not be salvaged and was eventually used as part of the Gooseberry 4 breakwater at Juno Beach on July 20, 1944. In exchange for ORP Dragon, the Polish Navy received another cruiser of the same type, HMS Danae. This transfer also encountered naming issues. Proposed names included ORP Wilno and ORP Lwów, but both were dismissed due to the sensitivities surrounding the Soviet Union's position. Ultimately, the name ORP Conrad was chosen, honouring the English writer Joseph Conrad (born Józef Konrad Korzeniowski), whose works frequently featured maritime themes. This naming decision symbolized Polish-British cooperation at sea. The ship was officially taken over in October 1944. However, under the Polish flag, it did not engage in any combat due to the approaching end of World War II in Europe in May 1945. Instead, it was tasked with patrolling the northeastern Atlantic and, for a week from June 7 to June 14, 1945, supervised the Kriegsmarine base in Wilhelmshaven, which had been occupied by the Polish 1st Armoured Division under General Stanisław Maczek. On September 28, 1946, the ship was returned to the British and was ultimately scrapped in 1948.

This time, there were three ships in the set. Two of them I used as Polish ships, and the third one I chose was HMS Delhi.

OORP Sokół, Dzik.

After the loss of the ORP Orzeł submarine in June 1940 and the transfer of ORP Wilk to reserve status, the Navy command faced the pressing need to acquire new submarines. In April 1940, Captain Bogusław Krawczyk, commander of ORP Wilk, was sent to Sweden with a mission to bring back three submarines that had been interned there since September 1939: OORP Sęp, Ryś, and Żbik. However, his efforts were unsuccessful. In January 1941, the Polish Navy received a new U-class submarine from the British, named HMS Urchina. Initially assigned to the 5th Submarine Flotilla, it was transferred to the Mediterranean Sea in September 1941, where it remained until July 1942. In December 1942, ORP Sokół was joined in Dundee by its twin, ORP Dzik (formerly HMS P.52), which had recently been acquired by the Polish Navy. Together, they were nicknamed the "Terrible Twins" due to their combined efforts. The two submarines sank a total of 38 ships and vessels, amounting to approximately 100,000 tons of displacement. In July 1946, both ships returned to Great Britain. ORP Sokół reverted to its original name, HMS Urchina, and continued in reserve service until 1949 when she was scrapped. ORP Dzik, on the other hand, was sold to Denmark in 1946. Renamed U1 and later Springeren (1950), it served in Denmark until October 1957. The vessel was returned to the British that year and was scrapped the following year.

The set included two additional ships: HMS Ursula and HMS Una. I chose HMS Ursula because I had built a model of this ship a long time ago, and it brings back a sense of nostalgia for me. It's also worth noting that this ship was loaned to the Soviet Union from 1944 to 1949 and was referred to as W1 during that time. The second ship, HMS Una, I chose after a character from the old Polish series "Przyłbice i Kaptury," which tells the story of the struggle between Polish forces and the Teutonic Knights on the eve of the Great War against the Teutonic Order from 1409 to 1411. One of the heroines in that series is named Una.

ORP Jastrząb

ORP Jastrząb is a former American S/S1 submarine, known as USS S-25. Along with five other S-class submarines, the S-25 was transferred to Great Britain as part of the Lend-Lease war aid and was subsequently leased to the Polish Navy. On November 4, 1941, the submarine was officially withdrawn from service in the United States Navy at the New London base and simultaneously transferred to Great Britain, where it was designated HMS P-551. The British government immediately leased the submarine to the Polish government in exile. On April 24, 1942, ORP Jastrząb departed from Lerwick on her first combat patrol, tasked with providing distant cover for convoy PQ-15, which was carrying war materials from Great Britain to the USSR. On May 2, 1942, an unexpected encounter occurred when the convoy encountered icebergs, requiring a change of course. During this situation, the Polish submarine was mistakenly attacked with depth charges by the Norwegian destroyer St Albans and the British minesweeper HMS Seagull, which were escorting the convoy. This attack continued despite the submarine using recognition signals, including yellow smoke candles, to indicate that they were an Allied vessel. After surfacing to clarify the situation, ORP Jastrząb came under machine gun fire from the escort ships. Ultimately, due to the damage sustained, the submarine was deemed unfit for travel and was scuttled.

There were four ships in the set, so I chose three additional ships used by the British that survived the war: HMS P.552, HMS P.553, and HMS P.554.

In addition to these ships, I received several others from Mike, specifically the British HMS Exeter and two German light cruisers: Leipzig and Nürnberg. Their histories are generally well-known, so I will not elaborate further.

After painting the ships, I ended up with a significant number of leftover bases. I decided to put them to good use: I made submarine position markers from the 3cm x 1cm bases and torpedo markers from the 4cm x 1cm bases. These will be useful in future games.

Here is a photo gallery on Flickr:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720322843225